Saucy Meatloaf and Sides

I am a lover of many things.

Like lemonheads. Fresh snowfall. Newly buffed skis. "Ferris Buhler's Day Off". Banana Republic sale racks.

Meatloaf has a place at the top of my "love" list as well. I don't know if it's because my palate developed a real taste for it through out my childhood; I don't know if it's because it reminds me of grandmother's; I don't know if it's because to me, meatloaf represents an iconic American dish that has survived the ages and still reigns as a favorite American meal.

It is, undoubtedly, the aggregate of all of those. I could eat meatloaf nearly every night of the week during the cold winter months and never feel a drop of guilt.

When paired with fabulous side dishes too, the experience of eating moves out of reality and somewhere into the sublime. This dish, well heck, you can't eat meatloaf without some potatoes, and the carrot dish is something I saw somewhere at sometime in the Martha Stewart empire that is now failing to come to my remembrance. The recipe I've jotted down is my own version, inspired by MS.

Here are recipes for the two images shown. Love it!

Saucy Meatloaf

{Keeping Up Cookbook, 163}

1 lb lean ground beef (may also use ground pork, ground turkey, etc)

2 eggs, beaten

2 cups bread crumbs

¾ cup minced onion

2 TBSP prepared horseradish

¾ tsp salt

1 tsp dry mustard

¼ cup milk

¼ cup ketchup

Mix the ingredients together and press into a lightly greased loaf pan. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and make the sauce (which, I would double in the future).

½ cup ketchup

6 Tbsp brown sugar

¼ cup yellow mustard

Mix the top three ingredients together and spread over the top of the meatloaf. Bake for 1 hour. Slice, and serve.

Carrots, Parsley, and Feta

1 lb bag of tall carrots

1 cup feta cheese

1 large handful of Italian Parsley, minced

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 425. Peel the carrots and then slice them thinly on a diagonal and throw onto a large cookie sheet. Drizzle a little olive oil all over, and season with salt and pepper. Cook in hot oven until they are just browned on top and tender in the middle (use a fork to double check that).

Just before serving, toss with feta cheese and parsley.